Ground-anchor.



BATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

J, L. SMITH.

GROUND ANCHOR.

v APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 22, 1902. "N0 MODEL. 2 SHBETS-SHEET No. 734,373. v PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

' J. L. SMITH.

GROUND ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

its. 734,373.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JESSE L. SMITH, OF LIMA, OHIO.

GRouNomNCHoR.

SPECIFICATION formin part of Letters Patent No. 734,373, dated July 21, 11503.

Application filed October 22, 1902. Serial No. 128,290. (No model) T0 at whom/it may concern.-

Be it known that L'JESSE L. SMITH,acitiis a specification.

Thisinvention relates to ground-anchors, and especially to that class of such anchors that are designed to be sunk in the earth for the attachment thereto of stays, guys, braces, and the like for supporting in place telegraph, trolley, and other poles, fence-posts, and the like, and for various other purposes where it is desired to attach'ropes, cables, tackle, and the like securely to the ground, and has for its object to provide an improved and simple anchor of the character referred to which may be readily driven or buried in the ground and which when strain is applied thereto which would have a tendency to withdraw the anchor from the ground will cause the anchor to automatically embed itself in the earth in such. manner as to securely prevent the withdrawal of the anchor.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure l is aperspective view of a groundanchor constructed in accordance with my Fig. 2is a top plan view of the invention. flukes. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

chor comprising two flukes. adapted to be Fig. 4: is a view in side elevation, showing the anchor; after it has been inserted in the ground and;

lowered endwise into a fhole bored or otherwise formed in the ground'or ,to be driven into the ground and provided intermediate their opposite ends with means for pivotally attaching thereto a rod, cable, or the like,

which is adapted to be attached at its other iatented JulyBI, 190s.

end toa guy, stay, or other similar brace or support, the arrangement being such that when an upward strain is exerted on the rod or cable the flukeswill automatically assume.

a position at right angles to said rod or cable and bury themselves in the earth in such manner as to resist their withdrawal.

Referring to Figs. 1 to '5 or the drawings,

the numeral 1 indicates a rodprovided at its upper end with a loop or eye 2, by'means of which a guy, stay, or the like may be attached to said rod. Pivotally attached to the lower end of said rod is the anchor proper, comprising two flukes 3 and 4, formed in one integral piece and provided intermediate their ends with a boss 5, said boss being offset from the longitudinal center of the flukes, as shown, and-is provided with'a perforation 6. The lower end of the rod'l 'isbent at a right angle and loosely inserted in the perforation 6 and is bent backward approximately parallel with the rod, as at 7, and is finally bent laterally to one side, as at 8, to overhang the upper side of the fluke 3"for a purpose hereinafter set forth. Each of the flukes 3 and 4 comprises a broad flatfbladeQ, or 9*, curved, as shown, and having formed on one side and integrally therewith a web 10, said web extending longitudinally of the blade and at right angles thereto and operating to strengthen and stiffen the blade. As shown, the two flukes 3 and a are curved in opposite directions, the web being formed on the concave side of the fluke 3 and on the convex side of the fluke 4, said fiukes prefer-- ably having rounded or pointed extremities. The blade 9 of the fluke 4 is preferably wider than the blade 9 of the fluke"3,"th'e inner ends of the blade 9 terminating abruptly,

of which construction will hereinafter be explained. The hole 6 in the boss 5, it Wlll'bG noted, is disposed eccentrically relatively to thereby forming shoulders 11, thepu-rpose the length of the anchor, being nearer the sponding end of the fluke 3.

'extemity of the fluke 4 than to the corre- The operation of an anchor constructed in the manner above described is as follows: A hole of sufficient diameter and of suitable depth is first bored in the earth by an earthauger or other suitable instrument at the desired point. The flukes are turned on the rod until they are approximately in alinement with the latter, and the fiukes and rod are then lowered in the hole as far as the depth of the latter will permit. an upward strain or pull on the rod 1 the curved end of the uppermost fluke 3 will enter the earth at one side of the hole, and at the same time the corresponding but reversely-curved end of the lowermost fluke 4 will enter the earth at the opposite side of the hole, and owing to the curved fiat formation of the blades comprising the flukes as the upward strain or pull of the rod 1 is contin ued said flukes will be caused to turn about the lower end of the rod as a pivot and will eventually assume a position at right angles to the said rod, thereby firmly embedding the flukes in the earth at the opposite sides of the hole. When they have assumed this position, the rod 1 and its upwardly-bent portion 8 will abut the lugs 11 and will prevent the fiukes from turning further on the rod. The hole may then be filled with earth, gravel, broken stone, cement, or the like and the same be t-amped firmly down on the anchor, thereby firmly securing the anchor in the earth. As before descrihed,the laterally-bent extremity 8 of the rod overhangs the upper side of the fluke 3, so that when the fiukes are turned into position for insertion in the hole in the earth the curved end of the fluke 3 will be opposite from or standing at an angle to the rod in such manner as to engage the earth at one side of the hole and cause said pointed end of the fluke to instantly enter the earth at one side of the hole the moment any upward strain is exerted on the rod 1.

As before stated, the rod 1 is pivotally connected to the anchor eccentrically-that is to say, at a point nearer the extremity of the fluke 4 than to the corresponding end of the fluke 3. When the anchoris inserted in the hole in the earth, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the endsof the flukes will be in engagement with the opposite sides of the hole, and when an upward movement is given to the rod 1 the end of the fluke 3 will move endwise into the earth in the arc of a circle, thereby encountering but little resistance. The flat blade 9 of the fluke 4, however, will have to be forced bodily through the earth in an upward direction, thus encountering a much greater resistance; but the rod 1 being attached to the anchor nearer to the extremity of the line 4 than to the corresponding end of the fluke 3, or, in other words, the fluke 4 being shorter than the fluke 3, the greater resistance offered to the fluke 4 will be readily overcome. Owing to the unequal lengths of the two flukes the fluke 4 would offer less re- By exerting sistance to the withdrawal of the anchor from the ground after the latter has assumed the position shown in Fig. 5 if both flukes were of the same width; but by making the blade 9 wider than the blade 9 said blades have approximately the same superficial area, and hence when the anchor is in place in the ground one blade will offer practically the same resistance against withdrawal as the other.

In Figs. 6 to 10 I have illustrated a slightlymodified form of anchor designed to be driven into the ground without necessitating first boring a hole therein. The modified form of anchor comprises two fiukes 3 and 4, provided centrally with an eccentric boss 6, constructed in the manner hereinbefore described, with the exception of certain particulars or additions, which will be presently pointed out. The rod may be pivotally connected with the perforated boss 6 in the manner before described, or in lieu thereof a cable 12 may be attached to said boss. On the lower side of the curved extremity of the fluke 4 is formed a conical point or head 13, adapted to readily penetrate the earth, and the upper end of the fluke 4 terminates in an annular shoulder 14, which projects laterally on all sides of said fluke. When it is desired to insert the-anchor in the ground, the fiukes are turned to a vertical position and a metallic tube or pipe 15 is slipped over the cable and over the upper fluke 3 until the lower end of said tube or pipe rests on the upper side of the shoulder 14. The fiukes will then be rigidly held in the lower end of the tube or pipe, and the apex or extremity of the penetrating point or head 13 will be in alinement with the longi: tudinal axis of the said tube or pipe. The head is placed on the ground at a point where it is desired to insert the anchor, and the an chor and tube 15 are then driven into the earth by striking the upper end of the tube with a mallet or other similar implement until the anchor has been driven into the ground the desired distance. In practice the upper end of the tube is fitted with a removable wooden plug or cap to receive the impact of the mallet or other implement employed for the purpose. After the anchor has been driven ,to the desired distance in the earth the tube is withdrawn. Then by exerting an upward strain or pull on the rod or cable 12 the flukes are caused to embed themselves in the earth, assuming a position at right angles to the rod or cable in the manner before described.

In the modified form immediately above described the shoulders 11 are dispensed with, the shoulder 14 performing the same function. After the tube has been Withdrawn earth, gravel, broken stone, cement, or the like may be tamped down in the manner before described.

As shown in the drawings, either a rod or cable may be connected to the anchor, and it is obvious that such connection may consist of a stout wire, chain, or other suitableconnection, and by the term connection employed in the claims hereunto annexed I wish to be understood as including any suitable means for connecting the anchor to the guy,

stay, or the like.

sisting of a relatively broad blade, the concave side of one and the convex side of the other being provided with a longitudinal strengthening-rib, and a connection pivotally attached to the anchor intermediate the opposite ends of the latter, substantially as described.

3. Aground-anchor, comprising two inte gral fiukes extending in diametrically opposite directions and reversely curved each consisting of a relatively broad blade provided on one side with a longitudinal strengtheningrib, a connection pivotally attached to the anchor intermediate the opposite ends of the latter, and a projection on the anchor in proximity to the point of attachment of said con- 1 nection and arranged to engage the latter to limit the movement of the anchor on said connection, substantially as described.

4. A ground-anchor comprising two inte-' gral fink es extending in diametrically opposite directions and reversely curved, a longitudinal strengthening-rib extending the entire length of said flukes, and a connection pivotally attached to theanchor in termediate the ends of the flukes, and nearer the end of one fluke than the other, substantially as described.

5. A ground-anchorcomprising two integral curved flukes extending in opposite directions, and a connection pivotally attached to the anchor intermediate the ends of the fiukes and nearer to the extremity of one of said fiukes than the other, substantially as described. A

6. A ground-anchor comprising two integral curved flukes extending in opposite directions, one of said fiukes being longer than the other and the shorter fluke being wider than the longer fluke, and means for pivotally attaching a connection to the anchor approximately atv the point Where the fiukes merge one into the other, substantially as described.

7'. A ground-anchor comprising tworeversely-curved integral fiukes provided with a boss arranged on one side of the longitudinal axis of the flukes and intermediate the ends of the latter, and a connection pivotally attached to said boss, substantially as described. I

8. A ground-anchor comprising two integral and reversely-curved flukes each consisting of a relatively broad, flat blade, said blades provided intermediate their ends with a perforated boss arranged on one side of the longitudinal axis of said blades, and a connection loosely attached at one end to said perforated boss, substantially as described. I

9. A ground anchor comprising two reversely-curvedflukes, a perforated boss arranged intermediate the ends of said'flukes and to one side of the longitudinal axis thereof, and a connection loosely attached at one end to the said perforated boss, substantially as described.

10. A ground-anchor comprising two reversely-curved flukes provided intermediate their ends with a perforated boss arranged to one side of the longitudinal axis of said flukes, a connection loosely attached at one end to said perforated boss, and an annular laterally-projecting shoulder formed aboutthe upper end of the lowermost of said flukes, substantially as described.

11. A ground-anchor comprising two reversely-curved flukes, provided centrally between their ends with a perforated boss arranged to one side of the longitudinal axis of said flukes, a connection loosely attached at one end to said perforated boss, an annular laterally-projecting shoulder formed about the upper end of the lowermost of said flukes, and a conical penetrating-head formed on the under side of the extremity of the said lowermost fluke, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JESSE L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

OLoYD J. BROTHERTON, WM. H. LEETE. 

